"In three days. It is, however, first necessary to repair a grave error which endangers all our hopes."
"What fault?"
"The Minister of the Interior," continued the man, "has ordered three foreigners, a German, a Spaniard, and an Italian, to leave France. Those persons are Dr. Spellman of Berlin, the Duke D.... of Madrid, and Count Monte-Leone of Naples."
"True," said M. H.... "This is at the request of the ministers of those three nations."
"Well," said the mysterious man, "it must be at once revoked."
"Why?"
"Because, if one of these men leave Paris, you have nothing to expect from me."
"What say you?" asked H...., with surprise.
"I am," said the stranger, in a low tone, "as I told you, the agent of one of those strangers. In his name alone I can tell you what you are so anxious to know—without him I can do nothing. The elevated position of this man, his rank, his connection with Carbonarism, enable him to hear and know all. Without him I am reduced to silence and inertness; for I repeat to you, that he is the thought of which I am the action. Destroy him, and the other is valueless, and you return to ignorance—become especially dangerous as the time approaches for the mine to explode beneath your feet and those of the French monarchy."
"Why not name that man? why does he not name himself?"